Netflix Cancels The Sandman: The Fantasy Epic Will End With Season 2
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but today, it was officially announced that Netflix’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman will end with its upcoming second season. While it’s disappointing, we can’t say we’re entirely surprised.
Ever since Netflix renewed the series, the streaming giant carefully avoided calling it a second season, instead labeling it as a “continuation.” That, combined with the several sexual misconduct accusations against its creator Neil Gaiman, made this news feel somewhat inevitable. However, Variety has confirmed that the cancellation was planned as far back as summer 2023 when the show was filming.
In a statement shared across The Sandman’s official social media platforms, showrunner Allan Heinberg explained, “‘The Sandman’ series has always been focused exclusively on Dream’s story, and back in 2022, when we looked at the remaining Dream material from the comics, we knew we only had enough story for one more season.”
We are extremely grateful to Netflix for bringing the team all back together and giving us the time and resources to make a faithful adaptation in a way that we hope will surprise and delight the comics’ loyal readers as well as fans of our show.” While that might soften the blow a little, it’s still tough to say goodbye to a show that brought such a beloved LGBTQ+ inclusive universe to life.
Although The Sandman was absent from Netflix’s recent Next on Netflix event—which outlined the streamer’s 2025 lineup—Season 2 is still set to drop this year. The exact release date hasn’t been announced yet, but all episodes will debut together.
For its final chapter, The Sandman will adapt the Season of Mists storyline from Gaiman’s comics. In this arc, Lucifer (Gwendoline Christie) abdicates control of Hell and hands Morpheus (Tom Sturridge) the key to its gates, sparking a fierce competition among various immortals who all want dominion over the realm.
Joining the cast for Season 2 are Esmé Creed-Miles as Delirium, Adrian Lester as Destiny, Barry Sloane as The Prodigal, Ruairi O’Connor as Orpheus, Freddie Fox as Loki, Clive Russell as Odin, Laurence O’Fuarain as Thor, Ann Skelly as Nuala, Douglas Booth as Cluracan, Jack Gleeson as Puck, Indya Moore as Wanda, and Steve Coogan as the voice of Barnabas the dog.
Meanwhile, familiar faces returning for the final season include Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death, Mason Alexander Park as Desire, Donna Preston as Despair, Patton Oswalt as Matthew the Raven, Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne, Christie as Lucifer Morningstar, Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine, Ferdinand Kingsley as Hob Gadling, Stephen Fry as Gilbert, Asim Chaudhry as Abel, Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain, Vanesu Samunyai as Rose Walker, and Razane Jammal as Lyta Hall.
While we’re sad to see The Sandman go, we’re grateful for the groundbreaking LGBTQ+ representation it brought to our screens. From Johanna Constantine to Desire and the beautiful portrayal of queer love, this show was a rare gem in mainstream fantasy television. Here’s hoping it gets the sendoff it deserves!
Season 1 of The Sandman is available to stream exclusively on Netflix. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Courtesy of Netflix
